Theta Alpha Delta Chapter
Of American Criminal Justice Association
Lambda Alpha Epsilon
Evangel University
Springfield, Missouri

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Chapter Bylaws

We, the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association–Lambda Alpha Epsilon, accept the Grand Chapter’s Bylaws, in total, and make certain additions hereafter listed to be made applicable for our subordinate chapter.

ARTICLE I: NAME

  1. This organization shall be known as the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association—Lambda Alpha Epsilon

ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVE

  1. Improve criminal justice through educational activities.
  2. Foster professionalism in law enforcement personnel and agencies.
  3. Promote professional, academic, and public awareness of criminal justice issues.
  4. Encourage the establishment and expansion of higher education and professional training in criminal justice.
  5. Promote high standards of ethical conduct, professional training, and higher education within the criminal justice field.
  6. Gain knowledge of the various career paths within the criminal justice field.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

A. Qualification for membership

  1. No applicant shall be denied membership in the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association—Lambda Alpha Epsilon for reasons of race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, or physical ability.
  2. No person shall be considered for membership whose occupation or activities are inconsistent with the aims and purposes of the American Criminal Justice Association—Lambda Alpha Epsilon.
  3. Each member shall maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or better, on a scale of 4.0
  4. Any person convicted of a felony may be considered five (5) years after expiration of sentence and must receive approval of the chapter, Regional President, and two-thirds vote of the Executive Board.
  5. Membership in the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter shall be composed of persons who are currently or were, at the time of their application for membership, employed in an area concerned with the administration of criminal justice; persons enrolled in a program of study in the criminal justice field at Evangel University; and persons, approved by the Executive Board of the Grand Chapter, involved in volunteer work directly related to the administration of criminal justice.

B. Application for Membership

  1. Recruitment for membership shall be continuous. There will be two membership drives at the beginning of each semester offering a reduced fee for applications during that time. Any time after the membership drives have ended, a fee will be assessed.
  2. Applications shall be completed, signed, and presented to any member of the Theta Alpha Delta Executive Board. Upon application and endorsement by the Executive Board, completed applications, along with the necessary fees, shall be forwarded to the Executive Secretary of Grand Chapter for processing.
  3. The Thirty-Six ($36) Initiation Fee that accompanies the application covers the first year’s annual dues. Each new member will also be added to the National roster.
    1. There will be a Fifty Dollar ($50) fee for initiation into the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter.
    2. This fee shall be paid annually for Theta Alpha Delta Chapter dues.
  4. Dues and Membership Renewals: Members and affiliate members are responsible for paying membership dues in the amount set forth by the standing rules concerning annual dues, unless other arrangements have been authorized by the Executive Board. Each new member will pay the annual chapter dues and the national registration fee proscribed by the Grand Chapter, with their application. The Secretary of Theta Alpha Delta chapter will submit to the Grand Chapter, before December 31 of each year, all the necessary renewal paperwork for existing members whose memberships expire that year. A member shall not be considered in “good standing” until his or her dues are received by the chapter Treasurer.
  5. Privileges: Members shall receive the following privileges:
    Bi-annual National Journal of ACJA-LAE (if published)
    Membership certificate
    Membership card
    Membership pin
    ACJA-LAE sticker
    Campus Newsletters (if published)
    Invitations to local, regional, and national sponsored competitions and conferences
  6. Active Membership: Active members have the privileges of voting and receiving information and invitations to all LAE functions and seminars. Inactive members shall not have voting privileges, they shall not be permitted to participate in chapter activities, and they will be reported to the Grand Chapter as a member not in good standing, until such a time as the inactive status is removed. A majority vote of the Executive Board is required to move any inactive member to active status.
  7. Revocation of Membership: A member may be considered for removal if he or she is involved in any activity that is deemed unacceptable or unethical according to the laws of the United States of America, the state of Missouri, Evangel University, or the American Criminal Justice Association, Lambda Alpha Epsilon. A majority vote of the Executive Board is required for the removal of a member.
  8. Attendance: Each member shall be required to attend 80 percent of all Theta Alpha Delta chapter regular business meetings, per semester. Each member shall also attend 80 percent of community service/outreach activities and fund-raiser’s, per semester. For the fund-raiser or community service event to count, a minimum of two hours must be spent at the event. If a fund-raiser or community service/outreach activity is also a Theta Alpha Delta chapter activity, it will count as a fund-raiser or community service/outreach activity and also a chapter activity. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis as reviewed by the Executive Board.

C. Honorary Members

  1. Honorary members may be elected to Honorary Membership in the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter in recognition of outstanding contribution to or performance in the field of the administration of criminal justice.
  2. The right to Honorary Membership rests with the voting membership of Theta Alpha Delta Chapter.
  3. Honorary members shall be excluded from paying all chapter dues.

NOTE: Elected Chapter Honorary Members will not be members of Grand Chapter unless a completed application is submitted, along with the initiation fee, to Grand Chapter.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS OF THETA ALPHA DELTA CHAPTER

A. Qualification and Eligibility

  1. The positions of the officer of the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter shall be that of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Public Relations.
  2. To be eligible to hold a Chapter office in the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter, the individual must be:
    1. active for at least one year in Criminal Justice Program
    2. in good standing for two full semesters of Theta Alpha Delta
    3. maintain a grade point average of 2.2 or better, on a scale of 4.0

B. Duties of the Officers

  1. The officers of the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter shall follow the duties of officers in the Association’s Chapter Guide and Robert’s Rules of Order and carry them out to the best of their ability as an elected officer.
  2. Each officer will serve in a designated capacity, fulfilling the responsibilities for one of the following positions:

President: Presides at meetings, convenes special meetings, presents guests, and appoints committees as needed. The president shall act as an ex-officio member of all committees. In event of an election tie, the president may cast one vote to break the tie. At each meeting, in addition to the necessary papers proper to that meeting’s business, the presiding officer should have on hand: a copy of the Bylaws and other rules of the organization; a list of all standing and special committees and their names, and a memorandum of the completed order of business, showing all known matters that are to come up under each heading, listed in proper sequence.

Vice President: Serves in the absence or on behalf of the president. In event that the president cannot fulfill his/her duties, the vice president will assume the office of president. The vice president will be responsible for maintaining an effective information system to the president and assist in duties as assigned.

Secretary: Keeps the chapter records including minutes of business meetings, and handles any official correspondence, which may be necessary. The secretary must keep record of the names, addresses and such other data pertaining to the membership of the Theta Alpha Delta chapter. He/She will also be responsible to keep on file all committee reports, to keep the organization’s official membership roll, to make the minutes and records available to members upon request, and to submit to the Grand Chapter all necessary forms to validate membership in the Theta Alpha Delta chapter.

Treasurer: Maintain all fiscal records pertaining to the Theta Alpha Delta chapter’s financial status, i.e., membership dues, list of active members, and payment of incurred statements relevant to the chapter’s various activities. The treasurer also must report all moneys received, deposited and distributed since the last regular meeting and report on the current financial standing of Theta Alpha Delta during each meeting.

Sergeant-at-Arms: This office is responsible for preparing ballots, ensuring all members and nonmembers have paid appropriate registration fees, and maintaining order at the Theta Alpha Delta meetings, and assist the vice president in coordinating various activities and assignments.

C. Duties of the Executive Board

  1. The above listed officers, along with the faculty advisor, shall be known as the Theta Alpha Delta Executive Board.
  2. The duties of the Executive Board shall:
    1. meet prior to each business meeting to set forth the order of business for the following meeting
    2. screen each membership application that is received by the Theta Alpha Delta chapter and decide the applicant’s status

D. Election of Officers

  1. Elections of Theta Alpha Delta Chapter Officers shall take place during the last meeting of the Spring semester. The newly elected officers will work with the present officers throughout the summer break. The newly elected officers will assume their elected positions at the beginning of the Fall semester.
  2. Nominations of officers shall be accepted on the floor of the Theta Alpha Delta meeting, to be held one month before the ballot casting occurs. The nomination can occur either by being orally nominated by another active member or by orally expressing a desire to campaign for an officer position.
  3. One nominee, to secure election to office, must secure a majority vote of all votes cash. In the case of a tie or divided vote, the president’s vote shall act as a tiebreaker.
  4. The highest office vacant must be filled before passing on to the next office.

E. Recall of Officers

  1. Officers of Theta Alpha Delta may be recalled for any violation of the Chapter Bylaws and/or any ruling of the Theta Alpha Delta chapter.
  2. A motion for recall may be made at any Executive Board meeting or any regular meeting of the Theta Alpha Delta chapter.
  3. Procedures found in the Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be followed.

ARTICLE V: COMPOSITION OF THETA ALPHA DELTA CHAPTER

A. Committees and Chairpersons

  1. There shall be Committees set up to handle different and important activities for the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter.
  2. Membership to each of the Committees shall be on a voluntary basis and the Chairperson of each Committee shall be elected within each respective Committee, except for the Public Relations Committee where the elected Public Relations Officer for the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter will assume the Chair position.
  3. Each committee chairperson is required to submit an Activity Summary, including a budget request, at an Executive Board meeting at least two (2) weeks before the event.
  4. The Chairpersons shall be responsible for reporting to the Vice-President of Theta Alpha Delta Chapter on a bi-monthly basis that is agreed upon by the Chapter Officers for each academic term.

B. Names and Descriptions of the Committees

  1. Social/Athletic Activities Committee – Is responsible for all social/athletic activities that shall include guest speakers, trips, movies, TGIF socials with a given theme, intramural sports, Induction Banquet, chapter parties, and any other activity that shall be part of the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter.
  2. Community Service/Outreach Committee – Is responsible for undertaking all community-service projects representing Evangel University's Criminal Justice Program, and the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association—Lambda Alpha Epsilon.
  3. Fund-Raising Committee – Is responsible for setting up fund-raiser for the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter to help raise money for chapter activities.
  4. Public Relations Committee – To be chaired by the elected Public Relations Officer. This Committee shall be responsible for the publicizing of all activities of the Chapter.
  5. Shooting Team Committee – Is responsible for recruiting and interviewing potential members who wish to participate in the Chapter’s marksmanship activities. The Committee is responsible for coordinating the shooting schedule for members at designated places and times.

ARTICLE VI: FINANCES

  1. The Treasurer shall maintain a current budget and system of accounts for the chapter. No transactions shall be authorized from this account without the consent of both the Treasurer and the President. In the event that either officer is unavailable, no banking shall occur. The faculty advisor shall review all transactions every month.
  2. Funds from this account shall be used for the sole purpose of chapter, regional or nationally sponsored functions. NO ACJA funds shall be used for any personal expenditures, for payment to any officer for services rendered in an official duty, or payment to or on behalf of any member of the chapter. Any solicited fees must be budgeted prior to collection and expended in accordance to the budget. The allocation budget may be modified by a majority vote of the contributors. Once made, if expenditure is considered unconstitutional by a majority vote of the Executive Board, the party in question must repay it to the chapter account immediately.
  3. One month prior to administration of elections, the Theta Alpha Delta account shall be audited, results being presented to the Executive Board for review.

ARTICLE VII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

  1. Rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the Theta Alpha Delta Chapter in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with Grand Chapter Bylaws and any special rules of order the Chapter may adopt.

ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS

  1. These Bylaws may be amended only after properly being presented for reconsideration at a monthly meeting to be voted on at the following meeting.
  2. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the voting membership present at the meeting shall be necessary to amend any section of these Bylaws.
  3. Voting shall be by roll call. The Secretary shall call the roll. The members shall declare their vote aye (yes) or no. The Secretary shall record the vote(s) and then repeat them to be sure of their accurate recordation.

ARTICLE IX: NECESSARY AND PROPER CLAUSE

  1. The Executive Board shall have the authority to establish standing rules of the Chapter, which shall be necessary and proper for carrying out the forgoing bylaws, and has the authority to establish standing rules for circumstance not specifically addressed by this constitution.